Mini easel desk calendars

Since today is the last day of 2017, it seems like the perfect time to share some of the gifts I made for Christmas: mini easel desk calendars for 2018. I made three different calendar designs (six calendars total), so I have a lot of pictures for this post. I'll list the supplies for each style of calendar and maybe a helpful hint or two but probably not much else, or this post will go on forever. As always, if you have any questions, leave a comment and I will respond as soon as I can.

Calendar 1: Project Life cards with quotes
I used 4" x 6" Project Life cards for the page bases for this calendar design. I just matted the appropriate calendar page with coordinating card stock, found a fitting quote and added various embellishments.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Book Club (Papertrey Ink), Choose Joy (Papertrey Ink), Plot Twist (Taylored Expressions), Little Dreamer - Cardmaking (Close to My Heart), Lighthearted Leaves, Pursuit of Leaves
Paper: Berry Burst, Bermuda Bay, Basic Black, Pink Passion, Pumpkin Pie, Sahara Sand, Tranquil Tide, Lemon-Lime Twist, Lucky Limeade, Baja Breeze, Regal Rose, Wild Wasabi, Fresh Fig, Emerald Envy card stock; silver glimmer paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Calendar pads (Taylored Expressions), Bloom Edition Project Life kit (Becky Higgins), Decorative Dots embossing folder, Pinewood Planks embossing folder, Herringbone embossing folder (Cuttlebug), Stitched Shapes Framelits dies, Layering Circles Framelits dies, Sunshine Wishes Thinlits dies, Little Bits - Leaves die (Taylored Expressions), Leafy Branch 5 die (Elizabeth Craft Designs), Triple Heart punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, Elegant Butterfly punch, Leaf punch, metallic and In Color enamel shapes, Into the Woods elements, rhinestones, Dimensionals, glue dots

Calendar 2: Choose-your-own design

For this calendar I used three pieces of chipboard (the backing from Paper Pumpkin kits) and covered them with patterned paper. Then I decorated each background and glued a piece of Basic Black card stock in the place where the calendar pad goes. I added small pieces of hook-and-loop tape to the back of the calendar pad and in the corresponding places on the Basic Black card stock, so the recipient can choose which design she wants to display and change it whenever she chooses.

Supplies (all Stampin' UP! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Butterfly Basics, Big World (Altenew), Beautiful Bouquet, Jar of Love
Paper: Natural Composition Specialty Designer Series Paper, Basic Black and Whisper White card stock, silver paper (retired)
Ink: Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Real Red, Calypso Coral, Basic Gray, Memento Tuxedo Black, Color Burst powders (Ken Oliver)
Accessories: Calendar pad (Taylored Expressions), Big World die (Altenew), Stitched Shapes Framelits dies, Butterflies Thinlits dies, Bold Butterfly Framelits dies, Everyday Jars Framelits dies, clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, linen thread, rhinestones, black enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet), Dimensionals, Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter), Mono Multi liquid glue, hook-and-loop tape (unknown), chipboard

Calendar 3: Die cuts in the spotlight
For this design I used a 12" x 12" patterned paper stack. I chose twelve patterns and cut a 3" x 4" piece of each design. I used dies, punches and coordinating card stock -- no stamps -- to make a focal image for each page. I also added gold accents somewhere on each page.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Llama Love paper pad (Craft Smith); Basic Black, Whisper White, Lemon-Lime Twist, Tranquil Tide, Orchid Opulence, Mint Macaron, Pink Pirouette, Flirty Flamingo, Rose Red card stock; gold foil sheets
Accessories: Sitting Pretty and Sitting Pretty Accessories dies (Taylored Expressions), Eastern Medallion Thinlits dies, Sunshine Wishes Thinlits dies, Mini Treat Bag Thinlits dies, Stitched Shapes Framelits dies, Cups and Kettle Framelits dies, Beautiful Wings and Cherry Blossom Embosslit dies, Bold Butterfly Framelits dies, Butterflies Thinlits dies, Stars Framelits dies, Fiesta Time Framelits dies, Up and Away Thinlits dies, Autumn Accents die, Quilt Builder Framelits dies, Perfect Pines Framelits dies, small heart punch, Bitty Banner punch, Bitty Butterfly punch, Leaf punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, Merry Minis punch pack, Quilt Top embossing folder, Subtles and metallic enamel shapes, clear faceted gems, gold sequin trim, pearls, mini Dimensionals, Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter)

Whew! Did you make it through all that? I could have split these into a couple of posts, but I wanted to have them all together.

I hope you and your friends and family have a safe and happy New Year's Eve. And may 2018 bring you joy, peace, kindness and health. As always, thank you so much for stopping by today!

Day 12: Treat packages

Merry Christmas! I've got one last project to share for my 12 Days of Christmas series, and it's some fun little treat packages that I made this holiday season for our mail carrier and UPS, FedEx, and Amazon delivery drivers.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Textured Whisper White card stock, striped patterned paper (unknown)
Accessories: Stitched Felt Winter Wishes pieces, rhinestones, pillow boxes (from Sept. 2017 Paper Pumpkin kit, Layered Leaves), gusseted cellophane bags, red ribbon (unknown)

I've put together these packages for the last few years, and I really enjoy doing it. They're nothing terribly grand or fancy, but little treats to say thank you to the men and women who deliver our mail and packages all year long, especially during the cold Minnesota winter.

This year I made eight treat bags, but when those went pretty quickly I decided to put together four more bags. (That's one thing that has changed over the years; with more online shopping and now Amazon making direct deliveries here, there are so many more delivery drivers!) Each bag contained a coffee gift card, lip balm, hand warmers, cocoa packet, a couple of chocolates and a simple card.

The small items went inside a pillow box from the September 2017 Paper Pumpkin kit (Layered Leaves). As soon as I saw that kit, I knew I wanted to save the boxes for Christmas, and they were perfect.

I made very simple (but I hope still cute!) holiday cards for the treat bags. I used a 3" x 3" card base with a square of striped paper and added a felt shape and rhinestones.

Here are the items that went in each bag. (I placed the hand warmers between the pillow box and the cocoa to hide some of that bright orange, which doesn't feel very holiday-ish to me.) The gusseted cellophane bags were the perfect size, and a bright red ribbon finished them off nicely.

I wish you a happy and safe Christmas filled with much love and laughter. Thanks for stopping by!

Day 11: Mini pizza boxes with tag sets

In yesterday's post I mentioned that I made sets of gift tags and 3" x 3" cards as holiday gifts for the team leaders at work. I made eight sets total and shared two of them in that post. For today's 12 Days of Christmas projects I'll share the last six sets, which I created using two large sheets of decorative paper from Paper Source.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: All-Year Cheer II
Paper: Black & White Snowflakes paper (Paper Source), Whisper White card stock, Cherry Cobbler Core'Dinations card stock, 3" x 3" envelopes
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Mini pizza boxes; Stitched Shapes Framelits dies; Everyday Label, 2-3/8" scalloped circle, 2" circle, Note Tag, 1/8" hole punches; foil snowflakes; Winter Wishes Stitched Felt shapes; large glitter brads (American Crafts Elements); rhinestones; Riding Hood Red striped ribbon; Frosted sequins; baker's twine trio; silver/white twine (Paper Pumpkin leftovers); Mono Multi liquid glue

Each box contains nine gift tags and six 3" x 3" cards with envelopes. I left the cards blank inside so they could be used  either as additional tags or as small cards to tuck in a gift.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: All-Year Cheer II
Paper: Gold Flowers/Red Berries paper (Paper Source), Whisper White card stock, red foil paper, Real Red Core'Dinations card stock, gold glitter paper (Paper Pumpkin leftovers), 3" x 3" envelopes
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Mini pizza boxes; Stitched Shapes, Holiday Ornaments, Window Frames Collection Framelits dies; Everyday Label, Starburst, 2" circle punches, 1/8" hole punches; Candy Cane Lane baker's twine; gold/white twine (Paper Pumpkin leftovers); large pearls; Oh What Fun tag project kit (for the large gold snowflakes on the boxes); gold tinsel trim; Mono Multi liquid glue

I didn't embellish these tags very much because the paper was already printed with gold glitter. And in making three sets of these tags, I had glitter everywhere. But what's Christmas without a little sparkle, right?

Thanks for stopping by!

Day 10: Arctic critters

Last year after Christmas I bought three large pieces of "fancy paper" at Paper Source. The pieces were slightly different sizes, but I'd say they were each around 20" x 28", so you could use them for gift wrapping/packaging, home decor items or, as I did, paper craft projects. In today's 12 Days of Christmas installment, I'm going to share the projects I made with one of the papers, a design called Arctic Critters.

Here are all of the projects together: two mini pizza boxes (each filled with nine gift tags and six 3" x 3" cards and envelopes), three pocket cards made with the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits, and three A2-sized cards. Below are photos and supplies for the separate projects.

Mini pizza boxes with tags and 3" x 3" cards

 

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: All-Year Cheer II (for the To/From on the back of the tags)
Paper: Arctic Critters paper (Paper Source), Whisper White, Pool Party card stock; Real Red Core'Dinations card stock; 3" x 3" envelopes
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Mini pizza boxes; Stitched Shapes Framelits dies; punches: 2" circle, Starburst, Note Tag, 1/8" hole; Candy Cane Lane baker's twine; red satin ribbon; Santa hat stickers (Jolee's Boutique); foil snowflakes; Little Felt Flurries Accents & Elements; red glimmer brad; Ice White Pearl Pen (Viva Decor); clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen; Mono Multi liquid glue

I made a total of eight of these sets (two with this paper design and three each from the other two papers, which I will share tomorrow) and used them as holiday gifts for the team leaders at work. For the circle tags, I backed them with a Starburst punched from Pool Party card stock. The others are backed with the same shape punched out of Whisper White card stock to make them more sturdy.

Pocket cards

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Holiday Hedgehogs
Paper: Arctic Critters paper (Paper Source); Thick Whisper White, Read Red card stock
Ink: Basic Gray, Soft Sky
Accessories: Mini Treat Bag Thinlits dies, Round Tab punch, 1/8" Real Red taffeta ribbon, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Mono Multi liquid glue

These cards (insert and bag) fit in a standard A2-sized envelope, so they still mailable -- and a little different from the usual card.

Standard A2-sized cards

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Lovely Little Labels, Christmas Sampler (Paper Smooches), miscellaneous snowflake stamps
Paper: Arctic Critters paper (Paper Source); thick Whisper White, Real Red card stock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: 1" square and postage stamp punches, All Is Calm washi tape, Frost White shimmer paint, Candy Cane Lane baker's twine, sponge dauber, Dimensionals

I haven't made a faux postage card in awhile, but this is a layout that I really like. You can see previous cards with this layout if you search for faux postage on my blog.

Supplies (for both cards; all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Many Merry Messages
Paper: Arctic Critters paper (Paper Source); Whisper White, thick Whisper White, Pool Party card stock
Ink: Real Red, Basic Gray marker
Accessories: Plaid and Snowflakes #6 embossing folders (Sizzix), snowflake sequins (unknown), clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, Dimensionals

For these cards I "fussy cut" images out of the paper and then created little scenes for them.

 

















Thanks for stopping by!

Day 9: Three Cheery Chirps

I can't believe it's been a week since my last post. I've been frantically trying to get caught up on Christmas: addressing cards, shopping for presents, and finishing crafty gifts. (I finally managed to hang a few ornaments on the tree this afternoon.) I'm not completely there -- the only presents I've wrapped are the ones I've already given -- but I feel a little less stressed. Of course all that, in addition to seven straight days of work and regular chores like dishes and laundry, means I got behind on my 12 Days of Christmas series. I have four posts left in the series, so I'm going to do a post today and then the next three days, ending the series on Christmas. It's not what I planned, but it will have to do.

So for these next four posts I will probably share pictures and supply lists and not much else. If you have any questions, leave a comment, and I will respond as soon as I can. Today I have three cards featuring one of the images from the stamp set Cheery Chirps. I loved this image as soon as I saw it, and it's the main reason I bought the set.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Cheery Chirps
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black card stock; Wood Textures Designer Series Paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, alcohol markers (Stampin' Up! and Copic)
Accessories: Foil snowflakes, clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, 4mm and 6mm sparkling clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter), Dimensionals

Supplies (all Stampin Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Cheery Chirps'
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White card stock; silver glimmer paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, alcohol markers (Stampin' Up! and Copic)
Accessories: Pinewood Planks embossing folder, Liquid Pearls - Platinum (Ranger), clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, white doily, pearls, Dimensionals

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Cheery Chirps, Christmas Pines
Paper: Smoky Slate, Whisper White card stock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, alcohol markers (Stampin' Up! and Copic)
Accessories: Burlap ribbon, copper trim, leftover kit components (sequins, thread, tag -- cut in half and placed at the top and bottom of the focal layer), Tiny Attacher (Tim Holtz), Dimensionals, Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter)



















Thanks for stopping by!

Day 8: Trios of trees

We're up to Day 8 of my 12 Days of Christmas series, and I'm going to share one last card design featuring the Christmas Quilt bundle. Here is a colorful trio of trees:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Christmas Quilt
Paper: Whisper White note cards and envelopes; Whisper White, Pool Party card stock; Quilted Christmas Designer Series Paper (DSP)
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Quilt Builder Framelits dies, white baker's twine, Quilt Top embossing folder, pearls, Mono Multi liquid glue, Dimensionals

Instead of focusing on the stamps for this card design, I used the Quilt Builder Framelits dies to cut out triangles from one of the Quilted Christmas DSP patterns. (I did use one of the stamps to create the tree trunks, which I cut out by hand and glued to the backs of the triangles.) For a simple background, I embossed a piece of Pool Party card stock with the Quilt Top embossing folder, tied a piece of white baker's twine around it and adhered it to a Whisper White note card. I added a few small pearls around one of the trees, which reminds me of snowflakes.

To make the trees, I actually used two dies: one die cut out the triangle, and the other added the "stitching." Since I made several cards with this layout, and I had to die cut each tree individually, I wanted to speed up the process a bit. Rather than having to position both dies before each cut, I taped the dies to each other so I could position them together.

First I arranged the two dies over one of the triangles on the DSP. I used two small pieces of washi tape to secure the dies together and to the DSP. I ran the paper and dies through my Big Shot to cut out the triangle, removed the cut-out piece from the dies, and then carefully pulled the dies off the remaining DSP, being sure to leave the washi tape on the dies so they stayed together. Then it was easy to place the dies over the next triangle, cut out that tree, and so on.



Once all the trees were cut out, I arranged them into groups of three and assembled the cards. Here is another version with a different color combo:

Thanks for stopping by!

Day 7: Christmas star

I had a lot of fun playing with the Christmas Quilt bundle, so here is another quilt-themed card design for my 12 Days of Christmas series:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Christmas Quilt
Paper: Whisper White note cards and envelopes, Whisper White card stock, Quilted Christmas Designer Series Paper (DSP)
Ink: Pool Party, Lemon Lime Twist, Garden Green
Accessories: Quilt Builder Framelits dies, red button (Making Memories), white baker's twine, Dimensionals

I had to do a quick online search, but I think this style of quilt block is called the Lone Star. I stamped and die cut the star, added a button in the middle and used Dimensionals to attach it to a 3" x 3" square of Real Red DSP. I struggled a bit with the rest of the layout, but I finally decided to adhere the block to the middle of the card front and add a strip of contrasting DSP on either side. I like that the star shape is repeated in the DSP, and the color helps bring out the Garden Green "stitches" on the focal image.

I have one more "quilty" card to share in my next post. Thanks for stopping by!

Day 6: Quilted Christmas flower

For the next few posts in my 12 Days of Christmas series, I'm going to focus on the Christmas Quilt stamp set and Quilt Builder Framelits from Stampin' Up!

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Christmas Quilt
Paper: Whisper White note cards and envelopes; Whisper White, Garden Green card stock; Quilted Christmas Designer Series Paper (DSP)
Ink: Lemon Lime Twist, Real Red, Garden Green
Accessories: Quilt Builder, Stitched Shapes, Layering Squares Framelits dies; Quilt Top embossing folder; pearls; Dimensionals

I really didn't think I would like Lemon Lime Twist when it was introduced as one of the 2017 - 19 In Colors. But it's definitely grown on me. And I love it here with Real Red and Garden Green; that bright green flower adds a punch of energy to a classic Christmas color combo.

I also had fun playing with the various quilting-themed supplies: stamps, dies, DSP and embossing folder. It's a little hard to see the embossing on the DSP because of the "stitching" in the pattern, but I like the subtle texture.

We're halfway through the 12 Days of Christmas series. I hope you're enjoying it and finding something to inspire your holiday crafting this year or to tuck away for next year. Thanks for stopping by!